Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Steps

Lie on your back. Bend the knees, feet hip-width, heels close enough that you can touch them with your fingertips.
Press the feet and the arms down. Lift the hips only as high as the lower back stays comfortable.
Keep the knees pointing forward, about hip-width.
Lower slowly, one vertebra at a time if that feels smooth. Rest.

What this pose may help with

These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.

Strengthens the back of the legs and the glutes in a manageable range.
Opens the front of the hips a little when the lift is modest.
With a block, it becomes a supported rest.

Common mistakes

Lifting so high the lower back pinches.
Knees splaying out.
Pushing the chin to the chest and compressing the neck.

Modifications

A smaller lift. Even an inch is useful.
A block or firm cushion under the pelvis so the muscles can rest.

Practicing Bridge Pose at home

Bridge Pose, or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, can be a simple way to wake up the back of your legs and the seat while giving the front of the hips a mild opening. In this shape, less is often better. A small lift can feel steadier and more useful than trying to go high. As you press your feet and arms into the floor, notice if your weight feels even from left to right and if your knees keep pointing straight ahead. Many people find the pose works best when the throat stays soft and the back of the neck stays long.

You’re looking for a feeling of support through the feet, a gentle firming in the glutes and backs of the legs, and enough space in the low back that nothing pinches. If the low back feels crowded, come down a little and make the lift smaller. If your knees drift apart, place your attention on keeping them about hip-width. Keep your gaze straight up and keep your head still while the hips are lifted. Breathing through your nose, if that’s comfortable, can help you keep the effort steady rather than braced.

On a regular day, this pose fits well after a bit of easy floor movement or near the end of practice as a supported rest with a block or firm cushion under the pelvis. That resting version should feel quiet and grounded, with the muscles doing less. If your neck is injured, skip the active version. If your knees complain, adjust your foot position, lower the lift, or leave it out for today.

Safety

Skip active Bridge with a neck injury. Do not turn the head while the hips are up.
Knee pain: check foot position, lift less, or skip.
If you are pregnant and lying flat is uncomfortable, use a side-lying alternative instead.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, said SET-oo BAHN-duh sar-vahn-GAHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Supine pose. The body area it emphasizes is Back. Lying on your back, you press the feet down and lift the hips a little. A block under the sacrum turns it into a rest.

Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Lifting so high the lower back pinches. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.

People practice Bridge Pose for a plain reason: Strengthens the back of the legs and the glutes in a manageable range. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Skip active Bridge with a neck injury. Do not turn the head while the hips are up.

If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Bridge Pose. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.

When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Bridge Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.

Routines that use this pose

Bridge Pose: common questions

How high should I lift in Bridge Pose?

Only lift as high as your lower back stays comfortable. Even a very small lift can be enough. If you feel pinching in the low back or strain in the neck, lower down and try a smaller version on your next breath.

Can I do Bridge Pose with a block?

Yes. Placing a block or firm cushion under your pelvis turns Bridge into a more restful version. Let the support carry some of your weight so the muscles can soften a bit. It should feel stable, not wobbly or sharp anywhere.

Why do my knees fall out in Bridge Pose?

This usually means the legs are working unevenly or the lift is a bit too ambitious. Try lowering the hips slightly and press evenly through both feet. Keep your knees pointing forward about hip-width, and move slowly enough to notice when they start to drift.